Mthwakazi Republic Party

Last updated

Mthwakazi Republic Party
President Mqondisi Moyo [1]
Chairperson Mqondisi Ndebele [1]
Secretary-GeneralAckim Mhlanga [1]
Founded2014
Ideology Separatism
Party flag
Flag of the Republic of Matabeleland.svg
Website
www.mrpnetwork.co.za

Mthwakazi Republic Party is a political party in Zimbabwe. It has been described as both secessionist and restorationist, seeking to restore the Mthwakazi kingdom. [2] [3]

Contents

History

The party was founded in 2014 in Bulawayo. [4]

In 2020, the party started a campaign to obtain 20,000 signatures to petition the government, neighbouring countries, the British government, and the Queen of the United Kingdom, to restore the Mthwakazi kingdom. Mqondisi Moyo, the party president, said this initiative was inspired by UN resolutions, specifically, that "minority groups must be afforded their autonomy and self-determination", and that self-determination should be afforded to "all minority groups whose human rights were being denied and their dignity trampled on by majority ethnic groups anywhere in the world". Moyo said the Mthwakazi kingdom is made up of 20 different tribes. [2]

In 2018, the party delivered a petition to Pick n Pay Stores, saying the company had become "a liability to the people of Bulawayo and Matabeleland in general, through meddling in tribal politics of the current regime". [5]

In 2020, the party alleged that Ingutsheni Hospital was employing workers from outside Bulawayo, saying this was "a contravention of the Constitutional rights of Matabeleland dwellers". [6]

On 8 April 2021 the Mthwakazi Republic Party staged a peaceful protest in the Zimbabwean embassy in South Africa, demanding the release of nine of their members held in Khami prison. [7]

In August 2024, the Southern African Development Community secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana, acknowledged the petition receipt from the party, which the party regards as part of its International lobbying strategy. [8]

Elections

Prior to 2018, the party had not participated in Zimbabwe's elections, wanting "Matabeleland independence first". In the 2018 Zimbabwean general election, the party ran candidates "within the borders of Mthwakazi", stating it would be "important in raising the profile of his party and its restorationist agenda". The party promised that if elected, "the education sector remains our single most important target". [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Gukurahundi</i> Civil conflict in Zimbabwe (1982-87)

The Gukurahundi was a series of mass killings in Zimbabwe which were committed from 1983 until the Unity Accord in 1987. The name derives from a Shona-language term which loosely translates to "the early rain which washes away the chaff before the spring rains".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZANU–PF</span> Ruling political party of Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) is a political organisation which has been the ruling party of Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. The party was led for many years by Robert Mugabe, first as prime minister with the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and then as president from 1987 after the merger with the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) and retaining the name ZANU–PF, until 2017, when he was removed as leader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulawayo</span> City and province in Zimbabwe

Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council claimed it to be about 1.2 million. Bulawayo covers an area of 546 square kilometres in the western part of the country, along the Matsheumhlope River. Along with the capital Harare, Bulawayo is one of two cities in Zimbabwe that are also provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matabeleland South Province</span> Province in Zimbabwe

Matabeleland South is a province in southwestern Zimbabwe. With a population of 683,893 as of the 2012 Zimbabwean census. It is the country's least populated province after Matabeleland North.Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North were established in 1974, when the original Matabeleland Province was bifurcated. The province is divided into six districts. Gwanda is the capital, and Beitbridge is the province's largest town. The name "Matabeleland" is derived from Ndebele, the province's largest ethnic group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matabeleland</span> Region of southwestern Zimbabwe

Matabeleland is a region located in southwestern Zimbabwe that is divided into three provinces: Matabeleland North, Bulawayo, and Matabeleland South. These provinces are in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers and are further separated from Midlands by the Shangani River in central Zimbabwe. The region is named after its inhabitants, the Ndebele people who were called "Amatabele"(people with long shields – Mzilikazi 's group of people who were escaping the Mfecani wars). Other ethnic groups who inhabit parts of Matabeleland include the Tonga, Bakalanga, Venda, Nambya, Khoisan, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, and Tsonga.

The Northern Ndebele people are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. Significant populations of native speakers of the Northern Ndebele language (siNdebele) are found in Zimbabwe and as amaZulu in South Africa. They differ from Southern Ndebele people who speak isiNdebele of KwaNdebele.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Nicholson</span> Zimbabwean town

West Nicholson or Tshabezi is a town in the Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsholotsho District</span> Administrative district in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe

Tsholotsho, originally known as Tjolotjo, is a district in Matabeleland North province in Zimbabwe. Its administrative centre is at Tsholotsho business centre which is located about 98 km north-west of Bulawayo. Districts around Tsholotsho include Lupane, Hwange, Umguza, and Bulilima. The Manzamnyama River separates Tsholotsho from Bulilima District, whilst the Gwayi River separates it from Umguza and Lupane districts, and the Hwange National Park separates it from Hwange District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lupane District</span> Administrative district in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe

Lupane ( luːpɑːnɛ) District is located in the Matabeleland North Province of Zimbabwe, and it is also the Provincial Capital. The District is situated at an elevation of 976 m with a population of 107,000 inhabitants by 2022. Lupane Town is the main center of the district located 172 km from Bulawayo along the A8 Victoria Falls Road. The Government Provincial Administrative offices are located at the Town Centre. A new university near the Town has been established under the name Lupane State University, which caters for the region and beyond. The word Lupane is thought to be a Kalanga or Lozwi word.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military history of Zimbabwe</span>

The military history of Zimbabwe chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time. It covers invasions of native peoples of Africa, encroachment by Europeans, and civil conflict.

Brunapeg is a settlement in the Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe. It is one of the urban centres in Mangwe District, one of the seven administrative districts in the province.

Nathan Shamuyarira was a Zimbabwean nationalist who at different times fought on behalf of and helped lead FROLIZI, ZANU, and ZAPU. He later served as the Information Minister of Zimbabwe and as the Information Secretary of ZANU PF. He was writing President Robert Mugabe's biography at the time of his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Coltart</span> Zimbabwean lawyer, Christian leader and politician

David Coltart is a Zimbabwean lawyer, Christian leader and politician. He was a founding member of the Movement for Democratic Change when it was established in 1999 and its founding secretary for legal affairs. He was the Member of Parliament for Bulawayo South in the House of Assembly from 2000 to 2008, and he was elected to the Senate in 2008. He was the Minister for Education, Sport, Arts and Culture from February 2009 until August 2013. He is a top official of the Citizens Coalition for Change political party which was formed in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Parliament of Zimbabwe</span> 2008–2013 meeting of Zimbabwean Senate and House of Assembly

The 7th Parliament of Zimbabwe was a meeting of the Zimbabwean Parliament, composed of the Senate and the House of Assembly. It met in Harare over five sessions from 25 August 2008 to 27 June 2013. Its membership was set by the disputed 2008 Zimbabwean general election, which resulted in a ZANU–PF majority in the Senate and Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai control of the House of Assembly. Political negotiations resulted in the 2009 Government of National Unity, a coalition government composed of ZANU–PF, the MDC–T, and the MDC–M.

Albert Nyathi is a Zimbabwean poet, musician, writer, actor, and philanthropist. Nyathi is particularly famous for the poem and song "Senzeni na?", which he composed following the assassination of Chris Hani. Nyathi is married to Caroline and they have three children together.

Lazarus Nkala, known in political circles by the nickname UMavava, was a Rhodesian trade union leader, activist, and revolutionary. Born in Filabusi in Matabeleland, he attended mission and government schools, and trained as a builder. He worked in Bulawayo, and became a union leader and African nationalist activist. In the 1950s and 60s, he served in leadership roles in the Southern Rhodesia African National Congress, National Democratic Party, and Zimbabwe African People's Union. He was detained in 1964 and, with the exception of a three-week period the following year, was held in continuous detention for the next ten years. Upon his release in 1974, he was named Organising Secretary of the ANC, and attended the Victoria Falls Conference as part of Joshua Nkomo's delegation. He died shortly after in an automobile accident while driving from Salisbury to Bulawayo.

Rajeshkumar Indukant Modi is a Zimbabwean businessman and politician who is a member-elect of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe for Bulawayo South. He previously served as the MP for the constituency and as deputy minister of industry and commerce and from 2018 until 2023. He is a member of ZANU–PF.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ackim, Mhlanga (22 June 2020). "MRP Announces its New Leadership". Bulawayo24.[ self-published source ]
  2. 1 2 "Mthwakazi to Petition Govt, Queen Elizabeth over Kingdom Restoration". New Zimbabwe. 18 March 2020.
  3. Harris, Lulu Brenda (17 October 2019). "We Are Not a Secessionist Movement: MRP". CITE.
  4. Ncube, Esau (2020). Robert Mugabe (Kcb): Black Supremacist. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN   9781796067248.
  5. "Mthwakazi Petition Pick n Pay HQ in South Africa". BBA News. 3 July 2018.
  6. "Ingutsheni Staffing Sparks Tribal Storm". NewZimbabwe.com. 17 September 2020.
  7. "Mthwakazi Republic Party Stages Peaceful Protest Outside Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa". 9 April 2021.
  8. "SADC Acknowledges Receipt of Mthwakazi Republic Party's Petition".
  9. "Mthwakazi Not Contesting Presidential Polls". BBA News. 8 June 2018.